1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to heating, ventilation and air conditioning (“HVAC”) systems for a vehicle, and more particularly to HVAC systems having thermoelectric modules for providing heating and cooling to a passenger compartment of the vehicle.
2. Description of the Known Technology
In a conventional vehicle, such as an automobile, the heating of the passenger compartment is accomplished by running engine coolant, typically a mix of water and glycol, through a heat exchanger and then blowing air through the heat exchanger and into the passenger compartment. The drawback with this is that the heat exchanger will not provide heat until the engine has caused the coolant to warm up. In colder climates, the time to warm up the coolant can be lengthy, thereby delaying warming of passengers of the automobile.
Furthermore, newer engines and powertrain arrangements are being developed where the engine does not produce as much excess heat for the coolant to absorb. Some examples include direct injection engines and hybrid powertrains. For these types of engines and powertrains, the temperature of the coolant can take a very long time to rise to a level that will allow for adequate heating of the passenger compartment when using a conventional heating system.
Therefore, it is desired to provide a HVAC system that provides heat to the passenger compartment of the vehicle more quickly than a conventional system.